ChasR
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Jan 23, 2021 21:42:28 GMT
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Cheers @stralthstylz , I’ll give them a call. I’m going to see if the garage has the original clutch. Send me the reg and I'll give my parts guy a call tomorrow Y111 DTS. As a word of warning, the REG brings back results for 6 speed clutches with the MMT-6 ‘box, not the 5 speed MTX-75. For anyone wondering, I have checked other V6 clutch nos. They are different.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 23, 2021 20:06:42 GMT
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Right folks.
I recently picked up a Mondeo ST220 Estate for a reasonable sum. However, the sinking feeling has begun.
In short
-It had a knackered slave cylinder when it went into my local garage -It got sold on to another garage in the 'loop' a while ago -He then changed the clutch and slave cylinder, but the clutch twice! The first time, it slipped. The second time, it was pouring out fluid!
As far as i can tell, it seems he may have installed a 6 speed clutch into a 5 speed car. It runs the MTX-75 'box.
Checking the aftermarket catalogues, Schaeffler, and Valeo only sell clutch kits for the MMT6 6 speed 'boxes, not the 5 speed items. The 5 speed slave cylinder however is listed on most sites.
I've checked 7Zap, and it seems this clutch is unique to the ST220. Balls!
Annoyingly, I suspect the original clutch is in the bin, leaving me with a clutchless car.
Bar converting it to an MMT6 6 speed (if that would even work with the ECU!), who can make a clutch?
FWIW, a clutch is available from Ford, but it's £300 and that's before I buy a concentric slave cylinder for it! I was hoping to spend £150 all in for both and without going down the route of a cheap clutch. That said, National sell a clutch, but I'm unsure as to their quality.
If anyone can help, the OEM part nos are as follows:
1208752 1423922 - Remanufactured RM2S717540VA
It would be a shame to break the car or sell it on, but if I can't find a clutch, it may have to come to that.
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Last Edit: Jan 23, 2021 20:21:16 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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I'm dissapointed in myself too bstardchild! That said, I do have my reasons for now. I can't, well, won't say too much, but let's just say I'm hoping something quite expensive and 'life' changing (well, finacially anyway!) goes through OK. That said, at least someone has removed the temptation from me.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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I'm surprised you have that many folks interested, given than even a shabby 944 is now worth decent money compared to previously.
That said, the 20V does fit in well there doesn't it?
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Lockdowns and car collection ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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I picked up my latest project from a princely 14 miles away...I cycled there so any particularly keen copper would hopefully be satisfied that I was merely exercising. Deal was done online, cash posted through letterbox in exchange for paperwork. Keys were left in the vehicle. It can be done. I have just done something very similar, with similar precautions in place. While it came from a garage, the owner was not too fussed about precautions, but it was not going to stop me. Bank transfer etc. or PayPal are means of paying too remember. The car is located 2-3 miles from me at a garage which I know. It's being delivered to a friend's yard 10 miles away via the garage, so at least they get a few quid as well. I've accepted that I won't be driving it from there for a for a while. The car admittedly was cheap enough for me to not truly view it, well sub-£700.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 21, 2021 23:52:40 GMT
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That was exactly my point several posts back. Interesting quote from Glenn's link (which was very informative); "We believe that the system for car bulbs is vastly outdated. The The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 is based on old technology and doesn’t account for newer technologies like LED’s. The regulations are not in-line with current MOT testing guidelines and creates a confusing message for people looking to purchase these products" So there you have it - they are illegal - but shouldn't be, lol. Maybe. Problem I see, having owned a lot of different makes and marques, is that it's the kind of "mod" that someone tends to do on the cheap. Think Vauxhall Zafira, boggo spec, "because Vauxhall" on the windscreen, £300 head unit, seats and wheels from a VXR, but Three-A part worns on all four corners, opaque yellowed headlight lenses, but a set of supernova spec LED bulbs in every possible light unit all bought from Wish. There are groups full of that kind of car, and they will ruin it for people doing it properly in the same way that we're not trusted to spread a virus because some people think common sense is to have house parties and days out to Scotland from Cornwall. Part of the horror of being on car 'groups' on things like Facebook is seeing just how imbalanced people's priorities are on where they spend their money and where they don't. I do try to avoid certain groups these days for this reason. 🤔😉 Most car magazines these days read like the people working for them don't know much about them, to be fair. Like that one suggesting you should modify your car and then, in the same sentence, imply you wouldn't tell your insurance (or somehow expect a reduction?) Indeed! Quite a few examples come to mind. Despite there being good, compact jump packs out there from Noco, and Anti-Gravity etc. , a certain Landrover magazine decided to show a jump starter which looked like it was 10 years old, less powerful than the modern offerings, less convenient in addition to being bulkier! Christ, whichever car I drive, I tend to keep a jump starter in it! It's small enough to be insurance and at times it has been (i.e I didn't turn the lights off; I know, a silly thing to do!). Then again, from doing work experience with magazines and knowing a few key chaps both still in and out of the industry, it is not a profession which pays very well. That no doubt is going to affect how products are rated, especially where freebies are involved. Furthermore, it will also affect more aspects including the quality of testing. But that is getting away from the subject matter here .
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Retro-ish Radio suggestionChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Jan 17, 2021 19:33:23 GMT
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The VDO certainly looks like better value longman. Can you change the colour on it? It does seem DAB adds on a chunk of money onto most headunits. I guess the competition of the Blaupunkt make the price justifiable in Blaupunkt's eyes, including -RetroSound's efforts ; The San Diego I fitted into the Merc was £300 -Caliber ; That's £180, and TBH it looks cheap to me. I saw one in a Jensen the other day, and I could not believe how thick the front face was! It makes it look ungainly in some cars, like said Interceptor -Becker's Mexico Pro ; These are very special but they had to be for what they cost. As Becker is no more, well, as an aftermarket headunit manufacturer, they are now £3k+ when I last checked. I've had Beckers before and they are superb headunits; Great build, sound, and look. They seem to be on the rise in value, as they are no longer made (Samsung bought them out), and people want the OEM look. IIRC I sold one like Ray Singh's for £150 2 to 3 years ago. I did like the look of it. I've had the Chinese £20 headunit. They sound OK for making sound, but that is about it. If you try to use amps with them, they fall apart. It seems the circuits are not designed to work with external amplifiers or the necessary noise and protection circuits are not present. People will judge me for the £20 HU , as in what did I expect. But it offered to me by a friend as an interim choice to replace my Alpine in the Merc.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 17, 2021 12:28:09 GMT
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I do have quite a collection of audio. It's most 00s based mind you. I'll have to dig some pics up. Here is something I had a while back: This might be late 90s. A Phase Linear Monoblock Some Dynaudio 240GTs. If someone has 6.5" midbass drivers for these, let me know. An Alpine 9887R, complete with the BT400 Bluetooth box. Here it is fitted into my now sold E36 323i and 944 Turbo. I'll have to dig up shots of my Phase Linear Aliante sub and Genesis amps.
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Last Edit: Jan 17, 2021 12:28:47 GMT by ChasR
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Retro-ish Radio suggestionChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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It's a bit of cash and a Single DIN. But Blaunpunkt do a great retro-looking player now, which does Bluetooth and DAB.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Quite the debate here! There are some windup merchants too, which I'm not surprised to see resurface as they believe their opinion is right and then resorting to personal attacks on folks; I did think this place was better than that. Pseudonyms always seems to hit the nail on the head here mind you! It's funny what people will do to feel good about breaking the law. I don't agree with the rules myself, but as Rich stated, you can understand why they are there. People are opportunists by nature, and will tend to do things that satisfy them. If a tester wants to take the risk, good for him (y). Don’t forget all hid lights need to be fitted with head lamp washer So it’s easier to tell if they are not factory fitted 😉 Some OEMs didn't fit cars with washers on a HID based setup. IIRC, the Mk2 Laguna and the Honda Civic FK/FN series did not have them. That said, it's one thing I do like about the M3. With the Bi-Xenons, it produces a very crisp cut-off, and they are great at night time. My parent's Love Island mobile (aka Range Rover Evoque) really does have a very crisp cut off. As said, even they can be blinding if the level sensors go bad or if the car's had a love tap on the front. It's not often these days you see a car with glare issues. Anyway, time for pics eh?
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Lockdowns and car collection ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Jan 16, 2021 16:07:21 GMT
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Would the 'buying a car for work' not be seen as a valid excuse to travel? As an aside - and possibly something to consider - in my area, Essexshire, the police have now started stopping motorists and asking why they are out and where they are going. Both my wife - she was on her way to work, and my cousin - also on way to work, have both been stopped this week so if you do decide to get it yourself be prepared.... And...Pictures? way you bought? P. That is something I've heard from a few folks now. Apparently, one chap took his friend with him to go and view a car. They got pulled over and fined. Depends on the copper that stops you/distance you travel to buy the car. I’ve seen a report of someone getting a fine for 100 mile journey buying a car as it wasn’t considered a valid reason to travel. Indeed! I think Paul has hit the nail on the head here really.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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pinderwagen will have a good idea of this, as it's something he does quite often. IIRC, if you are a personal trackdayer, it doesn't apply. However, explaining that to a foreign officer may be tricky. This is just one thing that will be iffy. I did start buying quite a few parts from European folks on my M3, as the costs made more sense (Parts in Motion for those wondering).
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 12, 2021 21:10:28 GMT
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I believe the reason that random series become unavailable is due to licensing. They get sold or licenced to other channels for a period of time. I've seen the same thing happen on Netflix. They do eventually become available again. They are indeed. With the UK, Sky will have alot to answer for on that. Why would they want you to pay £45 a year for a subsciption when a £70 a month juicy Sky Contract would yield a better return that they've been familiar with for years? Yup, I'm also an MTOD subscriber . Like many, I watch it for a few series: The favourites have to be between RoadKill Garage and Engine Masters. The latter is very good IMHO. OK, the testing could be challenged, but it is good to see them do it the way they do and explain what they believe to be the case, and admit they don't know everything . There are alot of shows on there. Many of the Wheeler Dealers re-runs are on there from the early days.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 10, 2021 23:52:37 GMT
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I have felt the need to scratch the V12 itch, and I really do like the the interiors of these E6x cars. I semi-regret not buying my dad's 535d when that came up. I'm going to pretend I never saw this!
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 10, 2021 22:37:11 GMT
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A great read indeed!
I'm intrigued into the pressure washing and polishing process on the crank. I'd have thought flash rust may have been a problem with pressure washing. How do you get around that?
How did you go about polishing the crank and what did you use to do that?
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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1973 MGB GT- Wings 29/5ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Jan 10, 2021 22:31:36 GMT
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It's great to see some progress on this beast once more!
The dash refurb IMHO is a really satisfying experience. It's not too tricky to do, but it does take time. It does however make such a visual impact inside the car, which is where you spend your time in the car!
It's good to see that the car is rolling again once more.
I can appreciate it's been a tough year last year. It can't have been easy! But fair play for soldiering on and getting on with the car!
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 10, 2021 22:09:13 GMT
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If the Escort was the one I thought it was, that was Bruce Holder's. Quite a nice machine! I was tempted but the timing wasn't and still isn't right for me.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 10, 2021 22:05:21 GMT
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Spring time arrived, and of course we all had a bit of an elephant in the room! Naturally, this left all of us with more time on our hands than we expected. As a few of you know, I did keep myself busy over the first lockdown, partially on -My M3 ; I treated it to new brakes all round and updated the interior -My Mondeo ; the bashed door was removed and a good replacement put in its place -Sister's Saab ; This got hit. As I lent her my Mondeo, since she is a key worker and I am based at home, I took her car in and started faciliating alot of repairs, which would become more of a pain than I would imagine! However, The Velosolex did not go without its attention! No chance! The first thing to do was to get this bike into a registerable state! Since French Velosolexes didn't need registering in France, alot like the new Citroen Ami that is being released, these didn't exactly have a VIN no. So I'd had to mock up a plate so one could be assigned. At the same time, I also placed in the new cables, with the recommended cable sheaths and lengths, which I'll come back to later. It's looking OK eh? I also checked over the brake shoes as things were a little mucky at the back. Thankfully they were fine! As a result, I just cleaned out the drum, repacked the bearings with grease, and started on other part of the bike Even my 4 legged bro wanted to be part of things, pose next to the bike? Who can blame him? A British breed of dog vs. French engineering. I know which I'd put my chips on being more reliable! Fun? Well, that's a different matter. I also struggled with getting on the flywheel cover. Mine originally was missing the straps to hold it in place. Someone had replaced mine with rubber bands! I think I could see why! Those tangs are a pain to get on! However, with a screwdriver put into the cut, they came off very easily indeed and were also refitted easily too! Another bunch of tools for me to carry. Final bits? Some stickers! They may not be original, but they certainly add a little charm to the bike! Sometimes, it's the little things like this that make all of the difference! That was March and April spent on the bike in between the cars. However, it wouldn't be anything if I didn't do anything silly over the lockdown eh? In this case, I decided to try and start the bike in the garden! Madness or genius? I'll let this poor video let you decide that one! It definitely is one of those 'don't try this at home' movies! But the advice was to stay at home .
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jan 10, 2021 15:19:31 GMT
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I know some people, including Dougal will say that the retro tyres are better than the non-retro tyres, but it would be good to hear evidence of it. I don't think that anyone is suggesting that the classic tyres are a better design than the latest modern ones, simply that they are more suitable for some classic cars. I can't find the thread, however my understanding of what was being said is that the older design tyres are more appropriate to the suspension geometry of older cars (and in particular the greater amount of lean in the corners). This was to do with factors such as the shoulder shape, with the result being that the 'classic' tyres gave more predictable handling as the breakaway was more progressive, and I have heard this elsewhere too. I pure performance terms, they may not be 'better', but in feel / feedback terms, it may be a different story. However it may be that some of this is actually due to the classic tyres being the only option available in the correct sizes? In terms of this test, it would be interesting to see it conducted with the same tyre brands / models, but on a range of different old cars to see if the results are the same across the board. As far as I can tell, the only conclusive data from it is which tyres are best suited to that Porsche! Agreed. It seems we're both saying similar things. A test with varying cars would be great. I did suggest for Tyre Reviews maybe to test the classic tyres vs. new on say a typical classic, but he was only interested in trying it in something like an F40. A shame, as he does alot of 'real world' testing for other tyres on his YouTube channel. It was Dougal who came out about how the tyres would be more suitable with regards to rolling/characteristics. While I agree his theory holds up, it would be good to have empirical evidence to back his claims. Bear in mind, with him selling them, of course he'll suggest theories as to why his tyres will be best . It's how businesses work after all. I think modern tyres do breakaway very well now, at least in my experience, and others like the examples I mentioned about (Pilot Sport 2 to the SuperSports and then the 4S). Yup, DS seems to be the known and tested example previously. Citroen Classics have extensively tried a few tyres on these. And also a comparison with a 10+ year old tyre. I was buying a new computer to use for my work recently, and was getting hung up on various benchmark scores and tests that showed various machines being 5-10% faster at this or that action. Once I was able to compare those benchmark scores of the new equipment my old machine, and see that all the options I was looking at were scoring 7-8x better than my old system, it was clear those small differences between the modern options didn’t really matter. Personally, I wasn’t willing to pay the silly money for tyres with the right tread pattern, and opted for modern tyres at a fraction of the cost. They aren’t ‘performance’ tyres, but it’s not a performance car, and they’ll be much better than the old tyres that came on it. I quite agree and I did the same, the cost of the classic tyres is huge compaired to a more modern alternative and I haven't noticed any handling problems with my MK2 Jag, true i'm not hammering it down the motorway at 100MPH or escaping from a bank robbery in it but then it is nearly 62 years old now! I think it depends on who it matters for in the business sense. I got used to using very decent bits of kit in previous roles and then going for more Excel based tasks. I can comfortably say that it's easy to see why some businesses can't keep up. As for tyre grip/response, it seems to be depend on what you're used to, and how you set the benchmarks. It's an easy thing to settle into. I have a few examples, and not just of 'fancy' cars. I thought my M3 drove well on the Falkens that came with it! It was progressive, grippy and generally good. It could have been better on track with those tyres but it was fine. When I fitted the Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss, it drove very differently even at low speed. It was sharper, more agile and generally boosted the car experience. While I moaned like mental about paying a fortune on tyres, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy with the new found grip and control of the car. It was similar deal on our Mondeos my dad and I once used to use. He used to fit budgets on. I can't remember why I went to premium tyres ; I think it was down to the tyre shop not having anything else in stock, and the fact that I've been very loyal to them ; he would go above and beyond on a number of occasions. Anyway I fitted them. I did not expect to have a mundane car to be not so mundane on the backroads! In the wet, I really noticed a difference. Prior to that, I thought "That's what these Mondeos are like", and just lived with the car. It what we do with benchmarking. The other difference? Tyre life. My dad and I would be changing an axle's worth of tyres every month, due to our 10,000 miles a month covered in the Mondeo. That went to 2 months. Sure, the cost difference wasn't much, but not quite half. However, that's when I realised life was too short to be going into tyre shops to change tyres every month, while I should have been making cash, or simply relaxing dare I say! The biggest nail in the coffin however came from my sister. She had the above Mondeo with Michelins and I gave her a friend's '07 Saab 9-3 1.8t. My friend never like the car's handling and neither did I. I thought being a drop top, decent tyres are probably a waste. As a newish driver going from the 327k Mondeo to a 110k Saab on budgets, my sister didn't like how it drove and thought maybe it was down to the weight of the car etc. It went through the following tyre combos: -16s : Fronts : Kumho KU31s. Rears : Toyo CF-IIs -17s : Fronts : Landsail LS388s. Rears : ContiSport 3s It improved on the 17s, but it still wasn't quite the same as the Mondeo. I then came to change the fronts to Goodyear Eagle F1s. It did grip better to me on the short drive I took it on. My sister, without being told about tyres, and not knowing much about cars, she called my dad and I that day to say what were we thinking in letting her go around on 'poor' tyres, in her words. She could not understand why we didn't suggest she spend the £160 on tyres earlier on, for transforming the feel of the car that much. I must admit, with the remap, when I last drove that car, it does actually now drive well down the country roads, even with the scuttle shake. Sure, the steering is numb, but it does cover the ground nicely . Anyway, I've waffled a bit in trying to explain a simple viewpoint of mine. Here's a cool motor on a cool set of tyres.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,195
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Changing car brandChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Jan 10, 2021 14:42:50 GMT
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Mid to late 90s stuff was the peak of reliability for most northern European makes. Downhill from there..... Nick Agreed. Their problem now is age related issues. E39 BMWs are similar with E61s. E61 have more to go wrong, but the E39s have problems of their own. The more common ones now include -Serious rot problems ; it didn't seem to be too bad before ; jacking points and the ends of sills go badly on them -Random electrical faults, but I think this can affect any car of this age now, albeit most won't stop the car from running -Generally tired as they are now old -Displays ; I think any non-I Drive BMW will have lost a pixel or 200 off their displays ; it seems most do now. -Other problems ; brake lines, as they were steel, and are now old and corroding etc. The E61s have their issues yes, but it does seem cheaper fixes come about. The £1k iDrive bill that people love to mention is now around £250 to repair.
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